SANTA ROSA 247 



the earth as far as nature is concerned. The 

 climate is perfect, the air is so sweet that it 

 is a pleasure to drink it in; the sunshine is pure 

 and soft. 



"The mountains which gird the valley are 

 lovely; then the valley is covered with majestic 

 oaks placed as no human hand could arrange 

 them for beauty. I cannot describe it. (I 

 almost cry for joy when I look upon the lovely 

 valley from the hillsides.) 



"California's gardens are filled with semitropi- 

 cal plants, palms, figs, oranges, vines, etc. Great 

 rose trees, thirty feet in height, loaded with every 

 color of buds and blossoms, in clusters of twenty 

 to sixty, like a cluster of grapes ( I would like to 

 pile a bushel of them in your apron) climb over 

 the houses. English ivy fills large trees, and 

 flowers are everywhere. 



"Do you suppose I am not pleased to see 

 fuchsias in the front yards, twelve feet high, and 

 loaded with various colors of blossoms? Veron- 

 ica trees, geranium trees; the birds singing and 

 ever5'thing like a beautiful spring day. 



"The blue gum tree of Australia grows here 

 seventy-five feet high in five or six years. 

 Honeysuckles, snowberries, etc., grow wild on 

 the mountains. There are so many plants more 

 beautiful that they are neglected. 



